Faucet attachment



W. W.- SWEBNBY. FAUGET ATTACHMENT.

-Patented Mar. 7,1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM W. SWEENEY, OF MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT.

FAUCET ATTACH M ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,577, dated March 7, 1882.

Application filed March 7, 1881. (Model.) y

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM W. SWEENEY, of the town of Middlebury, in the county of Addison and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Faucets for Beer and other Kegs, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to that class of. faucets whichare generally attached to kegs used by retailers ot' malt liquors, which said faucets are either left in the keg or are attached thereto and removed therefrom when the keg is received, filled, and when it is returned empty to be refilled.

My invention consists in a certain novel construction and combination of parts, whereby the keg may be tapped by merely attaching an ordinary screw-faucet to a permanent secondary faucet,which may be opened after the drawing-faucet is applied, without the usual waste and inconvenience which always attends the faucet attachment in kegs where my invention is not used.

My invention will first be fully described in the specifica-tion, and then fully and specifically` pointed out and deiined in the claims annexed thereto. 1 Y

Referring to the drawings forming part of this application, Figure lis an elevation. Fig. 2 is an elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail view. Fig. 4 is a plan, showing the attached ori-removable faucet in broken lines. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section.4 Fig. 6 is a section taken transversely upon the line .fr x, Fig. 4.' Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken upon the line y y, Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail view, showing one of the parts detached. Fig. 9 is a detail view, showing a detached part.

A in said drawings indicates a short strong tube, screw threaded upon its exterior for about two-thirds of its whole length, to adapt it to be screwed into the head of a beerkeg, the outline of the latter being shown in broken lines at B B,Fig. 4. A nut, C, is cast on the tube, and upon the other side thereof the said tube is continued for a short distance, the periphery of the continuation beingdivided into two distinct threaded sections, D D', the former being of greater diameter than the latter,iand a plane finished surface, a, being located between them.

E, Fig. 8, is a detachable core adapted to lit the hollow space within the tube A. It is provided with an enlarged cylindrical portion, F,at one end and a somewhat smaller portion, F', at the other end. The former is provided with a central bore or opening, b, leading to two diverging channels or xperforations, d d. The part F also is slotted upon two opposite sides, as shown at e in Figs. 7 and 8. v The end of the tube A is bored in two places, as indicated in. sectional view in Fig. 5 at f f. These perforations f f are so placed that they will register with the channels or slots e e when the core is turned so as to bring it into the position shown in Fig. 5. An inside nut, Gr, tits the open end ot' the tube A and bears against the core E, holding the latter in position and pressing into the tube A, so that all the joints will be tight. The nut G has a cenl tral opening, g, which forms a continuation of the bore or channel b. In the head F of the core E two pins,II, are placed at right angles to the axis of the core and adapted to move in slots i t' cut in the part D of the tube A. By turning these pins in 'said slots the core E is caused tovrevolve about one'-Y quarter ot' a revolution, thereby cutting oli" communication through the perforations f f and the slots e e, the solid portions of thehead F'coming in front of and closing the said perforations ff when the core is revolved. The

pins I I, as shown in the drawings, project very" slightly above the surface of the part D, but in practice they will be so constructed that they shall not project; but by cutting away a little of the metal of the tube around the open or upper ends of the slots z' t a wrench may easily beapplied to the ends of said pins, whereby they may be operated.

L, Fig. 3, is an interiorly-threaded cap litting the threaded portion D of the tube.

Any ordinary faucet may be attached to the tube by screwing it upon the smaller threaded section D in the manner shown in brokenlines in Fig. 4.

The operation of the device is as follows: The tube A is permanently attached to the keg, being screwed into the head until the nut C bears against the wood. When the keg is filled the core E is turned so as to close the perforations f f, the cap L is attached to the IOO end in themanner illustrated in Fig. 1, and the keg is shipped to the consumer. Upon its arrival the capL is removed, a faucet is screwed upon the portion D', and, the faucet-cock being closed, a wrench is applied to the pins I I, and the core is revolved until its slots e e register with the perforationsffin the tube. The beer at once enters the faucet through the channels d d and b and the openingg in the nut G, and by operating the faucet in the usual manner the beer may be drawn. When the contents of the keg are exhausted the faucet is removed, the cap L again attached, andthe keg is returned to the brewery to be refilled.

By theuse of thisinvention the keg is quickly and easily tapped by any person without the loss of one drop of beer and without the slightest danger of its iiying from the bung upon the clothing of the operator, as so often happens when the keg is tapped in theusual manner. Moreover, the whole operation may be performed in very much less time, without noise, and with far greater ease and convenience.

In order to make the fittings perfectly tight, thin rubber rings or washers may be laid between the end of the core and the inner end of the tube, also between the head F of the core ,and the nut G.

A tap and faucet for barrels has heretofore been constructed of a tubular outer shell providedv at its rear end with a tapering plug having ports or channels, and its small forward end provided with projecting lugs, with which engage the slotted end of a faucet, so that by turning the faucet the plug can be rotated for opening and closing ports or perforations in the. outer tubular shell. Such construction, however, does not constitute my invention, and is not claimed by me.-

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a permanent faucet attachment for barrels and kegs, the combination, with an outer hollow shell having end perforations, of' a rotating core inclosed entirely within the shell, and provided with slots or channels at each end and with attached devices controllable from the exterior of the shell for rotating the core without manipulating the faucet, which is applied to the outer end of said shell, substantially as described.

2. In a faucet attachment for barrels and kegs, the combination, with an exterior hollow shell having perforations in its rear end, of a channeled rotating core having cylindrical end portions, and inclosed within the shell, and provided with means controllable from the exterior of the shell for rotating the core independent of any movement ofthe faucet applied to the outer end of said shell, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a faucet attachment for barrels and kegs, the combination, with an exterior hollow shell having end perforations and a rotating shell, and provided with means to rotateit from the exterior of the shell independent of any movement of the faucet attached to the latter, of a nut screwed within the outer end of said shell, and provided with a perforation registering with the channel in the forward end ofthe core, substantially as described.

4. The'combination, with the shell A, constructed in the manner set forth, ot' the core E and nut G, said core being provided with pins I I, lyingin slots z' t' in the shell A, and adapted to be turned to open the communication between the faucet and keg, or to close the same, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a permanentfaucet attachment, consistingofa shell, A, having threaded surfaces, a nut, C, and two differently sized portions, D and D', both threaded, a core, E, having the cylindrical endsFand F', channeled and slotted, as shown, the perforated nut Gr, and the detach able cap L, the said core being provided with pins I I, lying in slots t' z' in the part D of the shell, and said shell being perforated at f f, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofl have signed my name to thisspecitication in the presence cf two subscribing witnesses.

' WILLIAM W. SWEENEY.

Witnesses:

I. A. WAINWRIGHT, SOLOMON LAPiN.

Ichanneled coreV entirely inclosed within the 

